Take the title. Celtic have been stylish in many of the 27 wins they have had in 31 games during their charge to the flag and he won’t have his satisfaction
of the victory lessened by the lack of Rangers or anyone else.

He
said: “I can’t change people’s perceptions on things. I understand it but I can’t change it. You try to but people will always be blinkered one way or the other. It’s a great achievement and we did it with a bit of style.

“When people dismiss the Scottish Premiership I get the hump. It sometimes downgrades what we’re doing as a
club and what I have as a team.

“We are superior to everyone else but you still have to go out there.

“Last season we had only 79 points and lost seven games – and that was with getting to the Champions League last 16.

“This year we have 84 points with seven games to go.

“We
didn’t have a fantastic campaign in the group stages of the Champions League but the qualification was the be-all-and-end-all.

“We
also sold a lot of quality this season in Gary Hooper, Victor Wanyama, Kelvin Wilson and Joe Ledley. That’s four very good players and if any team sells four of their better players it is bound to affect them.

“But consistency wise we’ve done very well, even though you are always looking for more.

“What
I do know is that we have a very good young team. The strategy is to bring these young players in and develop them before selling them but that is the economic climate we are in here in Scotland.

“My ambition while I’m here is to win trophies and produce good players along the way.

“I
feel I have two world-class players in Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster. Whether or not I can keep them here is another thing.

“The fact I brought them here from nowhere is something I can be proud of.

“We did it with Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama and, while you don’t want to let them go, sometimes you have to understand why.

“I think recruitment is the key between now and the time the qualifiers start.

“We
maybe need to improve on that side of things a little but I’m delighted
with some of the acquisitions. They are starting to find their feet here now and are good enough to play at a high level.

“We’re starting to build again for next season and the Champions League is very important obviously.”

Which
takes Lennon nicely on to the next stage of his fight for proper recognition. In terms of history, stature and standing, Celtic are a big
deal in European terms. In terms of Champions League finances, they are
like a go-kart in F1.

Lennon
added: “I want to make this comparison. Scottish League TV money is £14million. English Premier League TV money is £1billion. That’s what we
are up against.

“We know the size of our club but if a team stays up in the English Premier League this year it’s worth £60-£70m. If we win a title in Scotland it’s worth £4m.”

Obviously Lennon would love to have the cheques available to compete with the best for the best in the transfer market, yet it almost seems he relishes the chance to bring down the big guns from his lowly position.

Lennon
said: “We are playing catch-up all the time. We have a great board who are intellectual in terms of branding and merchandising the club.

“We
try to find younger players, develop them and move them on, while also trying to put a product on the pitch which is successful and pleasing on
the eye to the Celtic fans.

“The
problem is the rich leagues are getting richer and the poorer leagues are going the other way. The differential is increasing every year so we
must find ways to plug the gaps.”

While
he doesn’t want anyone to mark down the work of his team with Rangers missing, the Celtic manager confessed the return to the top flight of the Ibrox outfit may have some benefits on a European scale.

He added: “With Rangers being out of the league you miss the four Old Firm games and the exposure they bring to the Scottish game, too.

”Under Gordon Strachan we made the last 16 of the Champions League twice and we did it again under myself last season.

“In terms of the Champions League we have competed quite well as a Scottish team.

“In terms of going further, having competition back in terms of Rangers might just give us that extra edge which is probably missing right now.”

Finding the edge. Any edge to make Celtic better and get them recognised. It what’s drives Lennon on.